Book Review: Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff

Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Annice is a bard, formerly a princess, with the threat of treason over her head should she ever bear a child. When she discovers that Pjerin, father of her unborn child, also faces a charge of treason--for a different reason--she cannot believe that he is guilty. In order to clear his name and protect her baby, she smuggles him out of the dungeon and they set off on a cross-country trek to discover who is truly behind the treason.

As with most Tanya Huff books, this one is nearly flawless. Huff writes believable, developing characters, snappy dialogue, and fast-paced, well-constructed plots. Annice and Pjerin have chemistry without being sappy and go from outright strangers who hardly like each other to friends as they travel.

The thing about the Quarters novels that I find the most interesting is the sexuality. Bisexuality is the norm in the Quarters world and goes utterly unremarked narratively throughout the series. No explanation, excuse, or apology is offered, leaving the reader to deal with it--or not--as he or she will. Considering this novel was published in 1994, I'm sure this was incredibly progressive for its time, and may still be a step beyond what most people are immediately comfortable with. But the relationships, regardless of the pairings, are beautiful when built on love and trust and horrible when built on selfishness and greed, just like any relationship. I believe that Huff's skill as a writer and care with constructing her world allows for a much smoother mental transition for her readers than might otherwise be possible.

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